A Southern Beijing Treasure Finally Launches Downtown

原创 Michael Wester theBeijinger

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Those of you with experience living or working in the southern Beijing outpost of Yizhuang are most likely familiar with The Roots, one of the only non-chain Western restaurants to have found a home there (in fact, three homes).

Run by Frenchman Antoine Mansuy and his wife Masie Lu, The Roots is one of those places worth going out of your way for – but now you don’t have to. Now it has a new roost – their fourth, and this one smack dab in the heart of the city – just above Paddy O’Shea’s.

The Roots' Spicy Peri Chicken Burger

While the menu is Western – think salads, steaks, pasta, sandwiches – it serves mostly family-style dishes, designed for sharing. Mansuy says the dishes on the menu are not rooted in any one particular country, but that it fits best with southern European cuisine.

Their Western fare with an organic approach has been honed on the Yizhuang masses for the past six-plus years, and they’ve got it down. While they are perhaps best known for their Peri Peri Roasted Chicken, the menu is diverse and features everything from burgers and ribs to paella and tomahawk steaks. For now, they’ll start in their new location with a subset of the Yizhuang menu and will adapt as necessary for the downtown crowd.

You'll find the new downtown location of The Roots just above Paddy's

“We’re not claiming to know anything about central Beijing or its customers," said Mansuy. "We’re starting with a listen, learn, and adapt-as-we-go attitude.”

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It’s only a 20-seat eatery but if it's full you can always camp out at Paddy’s for a beer and order your grub from there. Extra bonus if you do snag a seat upstairs: there will be unlimited handmade baguettes on your table, like in France (we suggest you go indulge in this benefit before word gets out and the masses eat him out of business).

Innovative salads like the Autumn Winter Salad are part of The Roots' charm

The finishing touches are being put in place as we speak and should be ready for business later this week. However, tables are booked solid for the first few days so best to show up after Dec 14 if you're not among the reservation holders. The initial opening hours are likely to be 11am to 11pm, though these could be in flux for the first couple of weeks of business.